


Purpose: To Trust and Protect

by Moon6Shadow



Series: Anakin Skywalker l Darth Vader Related Fics [2]
Category: Double Agent Vader Series - Fialleril, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Anakin has not been in a good head space lately, Angst, Blanket Permission Statement Available, Don't copy to another site, Eventual Happy Ending, Force Bond (Star Wars), Found Family, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker l Darth Vader, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Mind Control, POV Original Clone Trooper(s) (Star Wars), Possessive Anakin Skywalker l Darth Vader, Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Reposting is only allowed for historic preservation with credit; not for personal or financial gain., Slavery, Tatooine Slave Culture (Star Wars), and not in a good way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon6Shadow/pseuds/Moon6Shadow
Summary: It’s been years since Order 66 but the Order never really stopped… until now.
Relationships: Clone Troopers & Anakin Skywalker l Darth Vader
Series: Anakin Skywalker l Darth Vader Related Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059320
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	Purpose: To Trust and Protect

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Sons and Daughters](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791821) by [Wishfulthinking1979](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/pseuds/Wishfulthinking1979). 
  * Inspired by [Words in the Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7173134) by [Fialleril](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fialleril/pseuds/Fialleril). 



> Set in an AU of the 'Double Agent Vader' Series by Fialleril. Anakin's oath is quoted from Words in the Heart by Fialleril.

_Good soldiers follow orders, good soldier follow orders, good soldier follow-_

_I name myself Anakin Skywalker, I have come here to pay a debt. I owe a debt of life and blood to Padmé Naberrie. That debt I will pay, blood for blood and life for life._

His General’s voice…

He blinked; Something had changed. It felt like the first clear thought he had, had in a long time as if he was waking up for the first time in forever. A fog lifting from his brain, or rather that the fog clouding his brain had _changed_.

It felt like a sandstorm. An achingly familiar sandstorm, one that cradled and sheltered him and his Brothers as it hadn’t in a long time. Instead of tearing at them and pulling them along in its wake. Anguished screaming and pain that never seemed to end and always, _always_ those words echoing in his head, _Good soldiers follow orders, good soldier follow orders, good soldier follow orders._

The pain and angst weren’t gone now but it seemed… _settled_ somehow. As if he’d suddenly found himself within the eye of the storm, protected by the howling winds and flesh shredding sand instead of constantly fighting an uphill battle against it, always one step away from being torn apart if he dared to deviate for so much as in instant from the chosen path. The winds almost seem to _cradle_ him now and it’s painful in a whole new way, achingly familiar and for an instant he almost wants to just break down and weep. Feeling like he has found safe harbour for the first time in who knows how long. Like this unending nightmare is finally _over_.

He knows it’s not. Things aren’t that simple, things are _never_ that simple. But for the first time in what feels like forever his General cradles him in the Force, just like he used to all those years ago. Soft, or not so soft, nudges and hints, _Feelings_ , that he and his Brothers could never quite explain whenever their General was with them. Telling them to duck or run or jump just a moment sooner than they otherwise might have, countless brothers missing death and injury by a hair’s breadth. Knowing when to fall back or push forward even before the verbal orders reached them. Fighter pilots that flew more closely together than any others without fear of collision. Comms that often went unused and thus forgoing risk of being compromised when it came to the General and his troops.

 _Darth Vader_ was the same.

He can breathe now; he can _think_ now. It all seems so _obvious_ in retrospect. His General hasn’t changed much, except in all the ways he has.

_Crushing agony, betrayal, mourning, despair-_

Lost under Orders, an echoing tsunami in his head.

_Good soldiers follow orders, good soldier follow orders, good soldier follow-_

But those echoes aren’t there now or rather they _are_ there, but they are faint and far away as the desert wind and sands cradle him.

He never did get why his General didn’t like sand, he’d always felt so safe inside his head, marvelled at how his General destroyed their enemies, until the Orders and Despair came. Until his General cannibalised himself and them seemingly along with him. The desert winds once so protective, threatening to tear him apart in an instant if he didn’t _obey_.

_They betrayed me; don’t you betray me!_

Their General is letting them go, their General _trusts_ them again and oh isn’t that the most terrifying thought of all. An ocean welling around him, for all that it’s in desert form. He and his Brothers know better than to disrespect the ocean, to question the force of a monsoon be it sand or rain.

However, it feels like this time the monsoon will be _healing_. A cool balm on a tortured soul. A Force directed with _purpose_ rather than destruction for the sake of it.

_I vow the destruction of my Master, I vow the downfall of his Empire, and the collapse of his power, and the final defeat of all his plans. I name myself Ekkreth, the Skywalker, the slave who makes free, and I seal this oath in blood and water. Let me not die until it is done._

His General had a purpose now. A reason to move forward in the world.

_Betrayal and a mind wiped clean, years of pointless slaughter. A glimpse of a newly realised Emperor and an Order that destroyed his and his Brothers' whole world and unleashed their unwitting betrayal on all those they had once sworn to protect._

Yes, His General had a purpose now.

And so does he.

_Welcome home, Vod._

**Author's Note:**

> The end bit is sort of both of them talking to each other in Feels if not in words, welcoming each other back, even if Anakin at the very least might not feel very worthy of calling the others brother right now. 
> 
> Also the mental relationship between Anakin and the Vod has been messed up, with how ferociously possessive of them he's been in not wanting to be betrayed (to lose those he cares for) again essentially trapping them as much as, if not more than the chips did. So that's going to take awhile to heal from and figure out on _both_ sides, even if the Vod are mostly just relieved to have their General and their own thoughts back right now. Kadee and the clone medics are going to be very busy given the clones will be wanting those chips removed ASAP. 
> 
> -  
> Force bond ideas a mixture of inspiration from Sons and Daughters by Wishfulthinking1979 and Lex Talionis by intermundia. Which is also essentially mingled with the Bleach idea of ‘Ichigo is so powerful and puts off so much power that he influences or perhaps heightens the potential abilities of those around him when they are exposed to him over an extended period of time’. Which becomes; Battle meditation exists, which is when Force Users connect with an army to give them an edge in battle. The wiki seems to focus on meditation pods/ships which gives me the impression that the Force User is likely sitting still and boosting from a distance while using battle meditation, which may or may not be correct. Except Anakin’s specialty is _moving_ meditation so here I’m going with the idea he can use battle meditation while fighting on the front lines. 
> 
> Also Anakin is super powerful which makes shielding difficult, _particularly_ during high stress situations and considering how close he gets to the clones during the war it probably doesn’t take much for him to start using the Force to comfort and interact with the clones either, so I imagine those around him get used to feeling him. Basically Anakin doesn’t shield as hard around those he trusts who accept him. Also there are times mental interaction could be extremely convenient during war time, even if it sometimes comes back to bite you. 
> 
> So… what happens when a powerful Force user like Anakin has been consciously and subconsciously interacting with the clones, he considers _his to protect_ , in life-or-death situations for _years_ even _before_ he becomes Darth Vader?’
> 
> I’ve also been thinking about Anakin mentally reaching out to the clones in an AU of Double Agent Vader by Fialleril. Then thanks to The Clone Wars (2008 TV Series) flooding Tumblr, realised that Anakin l Vader would be working with his old troops who would likely recognise him at some point, even if they never said anything, rather than random clones l soldiers. Which then feeds into the idea that the clones already had at least some experience with Anakin in the Force.


End file.
